Central, Terminus & Junction: The Different Types Of Stations In India

What’s in a name?
-William Shakespeare

Travelling across India by train is a special experience. When you plan a long journey by train you get to spend some quality time with your companions and have a chance to reconnect with them. Moreover, trains are the best mode to travel as they are cheap, comfortable, and pass through wonderful landscapes across the country. You come across different people, different regions, and different regional specialties sold at different types of stations in India. Some of these railway stations are known for being the busiest railway stations in India, whereas some are known for their beauty and others for the top-class amenities they offer to the passengers. But, have you ever wondered why do certain railway stations have a suffix added to their name? Well, words like Central, Junction, Terminus, etc. in station names are there for a particular reason.

Let us understand why stations are named in a certain manner and how they help differentiate between different types of stations in India so that you know their significance. You can even share this interesting titbit of trivia with your travel companions the next time you pass through or visit these stations.

Terminus or Terminal:

Anand Vihar Terminal
Image Credit: India Rail Info

Terminus or Terminal literally means the end. If you see a terminus post the name of any particular station in India, it means that the tracks end there. So, if your train enters a terminus, it won’t go beyond that station in the same direction, it will return in the opposite direction only from there. India has many famous terminal stations or terminus in all directions of the country. These types of stations in India are generally the biggest stations in the city or the state where they are located.

Famous Terminals in India:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai, Maharashtra
Anand Vihar Terminus, New Delhi
Rajendra Nagar Terminus, Patna, Bihar
Puri Railway Station, Puri, Odisha
Udhagamandalam Railway Station, Ooty, Tamil Nadu

Also Read: Most Beautiful Railway Stations In India That Will Leave You In Awe

Junction:

A junction in common language means a point from where one can go towards different directions as per their wish. Similarly, Junction suffixed to any railway station in India means that at least 3 railway routes are coming in and out of that railway station. Let us remind you that it has nothing to do with the single lines or double lines that we commonly discuss in relation to the railway tracks, but it means that there are at least 2 different routes for a train entering the railway station in different directions. One of the most common types of stations in India, Junctions are usually big stations on railway routes with multiple platforms from which trains can proceed in different directions. Mathura Junction railway station is the biggest junction in Indian railways from where 7 different routes originate.

Famous Junctions in India:

Kalyan Junction, Maharashtra
Salem Junction, Tamil Nadu
Vijayawada Junction, Andhra Pradesh
Bareilly Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Secunderabad Junction, Telangana

Also Read: A List Of 10 Historic And Iconic Oldest Railway Stations In India

Central:

We have probably come across central railway stations for sure, especially in the context of big metropolitan cities in India. All big cities in India have multiple railway stations as a norm. Central stations are generally the busiest railway stations in the city and probably the oldest ones. These types of stations in India deal with a large number of arrivals and departures and consequently have a large footfall. Whenever you book your railway tickets to a central railway station of a particular city, know that it is the most important railway station in the city. There are only 5 Central railway stations in India.

Central Railway Stations in India:

Mumbai Central, Maharashtra
Chennai Central, Tamil Nadu
Trivandrum Central, Kerala
Mangalore Central, Karnataka
Kanpur Central, Uttar Pradesh

Also Read: 13 Busiest Railway Stations In India That Are Always Bustling And Hustling

Cantt:

We know you are probably thinking about what a Cantt is and why the authorities bother to use it in the name of the stations. Well, Cantt is an abbreviation for Cantonment, which is a large military establishment across the country. These types of stations in India were established to ease troop movement and the logistical operations for the defence services of the nation. They are, for all these reasons, located in the cantonment area of the city and are generally a small station of the city meant to serve the defence personnel primarily, but also available for public use. So, whenever you come across any Cantt. railway stations, remember that it aids in the security of the country and the countrymen that are keeping us safe.

Famous Cantonments (Cantt) in India

Agra Cantt, Uttar Pradesh
Delhi Cantt, New Delhi
Ambala Cantt, Haryana
Bangalore Cantt, Karnataka
Bathinda Cantt, Punjab

Also Read: List of Frequently Used Indian Railway Abbreviations

Road:

Ever wondered what ‘road’ has to do with a railway station? Well, the word pretty much does justice to its name once you get to know the reason behind it. There are certain railway stations on the railway route which do not pass through a big city or town, but rather pass just outside them. So, when a railway route has a station that is near to a city or town, but does not pass through it, and rather a road connects the city to the railway station, then such railway stations have ‘road’ in their name.

Famous ‘Road’ in India:

Nasik Road, Maharashtra
Abu Road, Rajasthan
Bilaspur Road, Uttar Pradesh
Dalhousie Road, Himachal Pradesh
Bhadrachalam Road, Telangana

So there you have it! The difference between all the different types of stations in India! Now you have answers to questions like – what is a Central railway station? What is a Junction? What is a Terminus? What is a Cantt.? And why we use “Road” in the name of railway stations?

So, next time you are booking train tickets or are passing through one of these railway stations, you will be aware what these types of station names imply. You will have all the information regarding different types of station in India, such as whether it is one of the most important railway stations, or whether it is a military cantonment, or if the city is far from the railway station or not, simply by looking at the name.

Isn’t it interesting that there are so many things about the trains and the Indian railways that we don’t know despite travelling by trains for practically all our lives!

One of those things is that the Indian railways also provides you with a chance to earn up to Rs.80,000 per month. We bet you didn’t know about this!

All you have to do is become an IRCTC agent with Akbartravelsonline.com and that’s it!

Akbar Travels is not only one of the few authorised agents to issue IRCTC agent licenses, but also provides round-the-clock support and training along with access to its exclusive one-shop travel portal. With this travel portal, you can offer several travel-related services under one roof to your customers and earn great commission on all bookings.

When you become an authorised IRCTC agent, you can do so much more than just dealing with IRCTC tourism packages and train ticket bookings. You can make hotel reservations, provide visa services and travel insurance, book international and domestic flight tickets, do money transfers, pay bills and recharge mobile online, etc.

Do you know what the best part is? There are no risks involved and no chances for a loss! And if that’s not enough, anyone can choose to work from anywhere, that too any time! Meaning even if you are a housewife or a student or a working professional, you can choose to work part-time or full-time using your phone or laptop right from the comforts of your home.

What else could you ask for? Hurry apply for your IRCTC agent license now!

Apply Visa Online

International Holiday Packages

Domestic Holiday Packages

Packages by Themes

Domestic Flights

International Flights

Central, Terminus & Junction: Know All About The Different Types Of Stations In India